Chapter 40 Tanner
Tanner
His shoulder surgery was scheduled for ten days’ time and Tanner felt the specter of potential retirement stalking his every move. He wasn’t ready to hang up his skates just yet. But what if that choice was taken away?
He wanted to bask in the joy of finally making progress with Avery, but his current professional knife-edge and the ugliness of the personalized doll had temporarily taken the shine off things—although he was confident that Avery was in safe hands with Chief Martinez.
His mom rang as Tanner split from the Rapids’ meeting and drove back to Pine Springs. Utterly unable to hold it all in and spin the positives as usual, he pulled over to the side of the road and offloaded his worries on her in a jumbled rush.
There was a pause on the other end of the line. “Why have you been keeping all this to yourself, sweetheart?” His mom’s voice was coated in soft concern.
“It’s up to me to look after you now. Not the other way around.” Tanner closed gritty eyes and swallowed. “I don’t want to let you down.”
“You’ve never once let me down,” his mother said firmly, “and I’m the parent here. You don’t need to take care of me.”
“But when Dad left and you were so ill—”
“You were a child, Tan! It was never your responsibility and I’m so sorry you felt it was.
” The warm sincerity in her words eased some of the pressure on his chest. “I’m so proud of everything you’ve done and everything you’ve achieved.
We all are. But if you never pick up a hockey stick again, we’ll be fine.
What matters now is making sure that you’re going to be fine, too. ”
He had to swallow hard before he could reply. “I love you, Mom.”
“I love you too, honey. Always have, always will.”
Tanner took a few moments after hanging up to collect himself and then continued on his way, a little steadier than before—a feeling that stayed with him until he strolled into Archer & Desai Realty Management almost an hour later with a renewed frown on his face.
“What happened to your window?” Tanner jerked his thumb at the ply boarding that covered one half of the shop frontage.
“Smashed overnight.” Kash looked pissed but resigned. “Someone tried to jimmy open the back door too but they didn’t get in. Hopefully something was caught on CCTV. Dougie Taggart’s checking it out.”
“There are better places to hit if you’re after petty cash,” grunted Sam. “We only ever keep the bare minimum for stamps or sugar.”
“Not the first time, probably won’t be the last.” Kash gave a shrug and neither of them seemed keen to discuss it further.
“We’ve put together a financial proposal for the farmhouse.
” Sam pushed two sheets of paper across the desk.
“I’ll email them to you, but I thought you’d like to take a look.
This one,” he pointed, “is the rental agreement you’ve already signed, with add-on details for a short-term interest-free loan after three months for us to use as a down payment on another flip.
The second sheet gives you the figures and fees for buying the house, if you decide to go that route. ”
Tanner dragged the paperwork nearer. “I’ll talk it over with Arlo, but I’ve changed my mind about renting. I want to buy the place if my finances line up. I’ll pin him down on the details while he’s here.”
He caught the glance Sam and Kash exchanged.
“What?” Tanner asked, turning his head from one to the other.
“Arlo told Kash you’d be better off saving your money.” Sam eyed him shrewdly. “He said you got lucky in the early days, that you haven’t got the focus or commitment to settle with the Rapids long term, and your surgery is going to tank your career anyway.”
Tanner blinked, the information taking far longer than it should to hit him. It hurt like a kick to the gut when it did.
“I told him to fuck off,” Kash added grimly.
Tanner cracked his knuckles and a spark began to smolder inside him as betrayal battled anger. “Look, I’ve not always made the best decisions, especially early on. I was immature. Maybe I didn’t deserve the success.”
But dammit, he’d worked hard. He’d never lacked commitment. Big cities had been a fun playground when he was younger and the money was a novelty, but at heart he’d stayed a small-town boy. He could turn his back on city life without a single regret—that was Arlo’s preference, not his.
And his friend’s lack of faith in Tanner’s return to full strength was particularly painful while his own doubts ran rampant.
Contrasting it with his mom’s instant and unwavering support on the phone, Sam’s solid friendship, and Avery’s unshakable confidence in him, it was a shock to realize that Arlo had never had Tanner’s back in the same way.
“Listen, bro.” Sam leaned forward, elbows on the desk between them.
His face was set in serious lines for once.
“Not a single one of us makes sensible decisions when we’re young, but you busted your ass to get where you are.
And you’ve stayed loyal to that little punk since college because you’re that kind of guy.
” His top lip curled. “It’s not even him riding on your coattails I object to.
But if he’s going to talk shit about you while he does it, then I’m calling him out.
And you need to open your eyes to what he’s doing. The dude is a leech.”
Sam’s unapologetic honesty was a wake-up call.
Tanner sat back as the memory of Arlo’s actions over the last week cascaded through his mind, then even further back and further back .
. . Arlo had always made him feel a little bit worse about himself.
Less worthy. Less sure. Less everything.
He’d been there in the background, telling Tanner how it was just pure fucking luck that had gotten him to where he was.
And his words had tainted the endless hours Tanner had dedicated to practice, fitness, healthy eating.
It pissed him off that he’d listened.
“You thought you were lucky to have a friend like Arlo because Arlo told you so. But he’s been the lucky one.
Don’t let him ruin this new start for you.
” Sam sat back and tapped his pen. “Avery thinks he’s a dick, too.
She’d have told you at some point if I didn’t.
I thought I’d save her this conversation. ”
Rubbing the back of his neck, Tanner reined in his scrambling thoughts. “Get the paperwork drawn up,” he told Sam firmly. “I want that house and Arlo can go screw himself.”
Fury dogged his footsteps back to the car and he slammed the door behind him as he climbed in.
He’d never doubted that Arlo had his best interests at heart. He felt stupid beyond belief to have put so much blind trust in him.
On impulse, Tanner leaned over to open the glovebox and pulled out the letter he’d received about the office rental space in Boston. He’d shoved it there, meaning to either call them to check the details or ask Arlo for more information, but typically had done neither.
“Good morning, Pelham Property Services.”
Tanner checked the name at the base of the letter. “I’d like to speak to Dan Woodley, please?”
“Mr. Woodley’s out of the office right now,” said the efficient-sounding woman on the other end of the line. “Can I help or take a message?”
“You might be able to help actually. I’m after some details on a rental contract.”
“No problem at all. Who am I speaking with?”
He paused for a second. “Arlo Stebbings. I handle the finances for Tanner Stone and this letter has come through without the address of the business unit. I just wanted to double-check it for my records.”
“Of course, Mr. Stebbings. I recognize your name. I know Dan’s been handling your client’s needs but that information will be easy to find.
” There was a pause which began to drag on for a while.
Eventually, the woman came back, sounding less certain than before.
“This is strange,” she said slowly. “I might have to call you back after all. The letter and the contract don’t seem to tie together—there must be an admin error on our part. ”
“What kind of error?” Tanner asked, drumming his fingers on the steering wheel.
“Well, the letter lists an office rental, but the contract details are for a new-build condo in Maine through our sister office. I don’t know why that is without talking to Dan.”
Tanner’s nostrils flared and, in the rearview mirror, his eyes snapped with a dark intensity.
He didn’t want to set any alarm bells ringing just yet.
“Ah, no, it’s fine. Don’t worry about it.
Mr. Stone is investing in both, so it sounds like a clerical error.
I’ll call Dan on his cellphone. No need to pass on a message. ”
Ending the call, Tanner stared out through the windshield.
There was little sign of last night’s storm.
They’d woken to another stunning summer day that had gotten brighter and bluer as the hours ticked by.
The clear, azure sky held the promise of a perfect poolside evening, in the company of good friends.
But was it going to deliver? He wished he felt more confident.
Firing the engine, Tanner decided there was nothing for it but to end the day where it had begun and make one more stop on the way home.